The President has once again called for a thorough investigation into the fatal shooting of Brig. J. The National Police emphasized that investigators were working hard on the case so it could be finished.
By
MAWAR KUSUMA WULAN, M HERNOWO, SUTTA DHARMASAPUTRA, DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI, SUHARTONO
·5 minutes read
.
KOMPAS
Ahead of the 2024 General Election, President Joko Widodo appealed to the public not to be polarized. The President has once again called for a thorough investigation into the fatal shooting of Brig. J. This was conveyed by the President when he met with the Chief Editor of Kompas Daily, Sutta Dharmasaputra for a direct interview at the State Palace on Sunday, August 14, 2022.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has stressed that solving the murder of Brig. J, or Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, had created an opportunity to rebuild public trust in the National Police. For this reason, the case must be investigated thoroughly.
President Jokowi conveyed this in response to a question from Kompas during a reception at the State Palace in Jakarta on Sunday (14/8/2022).
“[The investigation into Brig. J’s death] has created an opportunity to rebuild public trust in the National Police. Do not miss this opportunity, namely to reform the National Police and improve its system,” the President said.
The President urged yet again that the truth of Brig. J’s death must be revealed until the case reached the court. “But I do not want to speak about this again. I have repeated myself many times already,” he added.
By Kompas’ count, President Jokowi has issued statements concerning the case of Brig. J at least four times already. The President wants the circumstances surrounding Brig. J’s death to be disclosed as is, transparently and openly.
The police have named four suspects in the case. Apart from former internal affairs chief Insp. Gen. Ferdy Sambo, the three other suspects are Bhayangkara Dua (Second Agent; Bharada) E, or Richard Eliezer Pudihang Lumiu, Brig. Ricky Rizal and Kuat Ma’ruf, a worker at Ferdy’s residence.
Bareskrim chief Comr. Gen. Agus Andrianto said the investigation team was now working hard to solve the case so it could be immediately handed over to the prosecutor’s office. However, investigators were still gathering evidence. He also made assurances that all personnel were professional in their handling of the case.
Agus said investigators had also been dispatched to Magelang, Central Java, to look for the circumstances that triggered the fatal shooting. According to Agus, although reports of Brig. J’s alleged sexual assault in Jakarta against Ferdy Sambo’s wife, Putri Candrawathi, had subsided, the events that occurred in Magelang could not be excluded from the investigation.
“This is based on information from those involved in the investigation. However, those that are certain to know what happened are, of course, God, the deceased [Brig. J] and Bu PC [Putri Candrawathi]. Pak FS (Ferdy Sambo) and other witnesses, such as Kuat, Ricky, Susi [domestic worker] and Richard can only provide explanations to the best of their knowledge,” said Agus.
KOMPAS
A number of Brimob Police officers guard Ferdy Sambo's private house which has been installed by the Police Line.
During his interrogation as a suspect in the murder of Brig. J, Ferdy confessed that he had become emotional because of Nofriansyah’s behavior towards his wife while in Magelang. This behavior, said Ferdy, had tainted the dignity of the family (Kompas, 12/8/2022).
Albertus Wahyurudanto, a member of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), said in his last meeting with the police’s special team on Friday (12/8) that the National Police chief had requested a quick conclusion to the investigation. This was conveyed by the head of the police’s special team, Comr. Gen. Agung Budi Maryoto, who is also the chief of the General Supervision Inspectorate. “Because the National Police chief instructed us to speed up the investigation, the investigation team worked [like it was running] a marathon,” said Wahyu.
However, he added, there was no deadline for when the case files should be handed over to the prosecutor’s office. Several days ago, the police sent a letter notifying the prosecutor’s office that an investigation had been opened. Kompolnas, according to Wahyu, would continue to supervise the investigation into Nofriansyah’s fatal shooting, although the commission would not be involved in the investigation. This was because Kompolnas was part of the police’s special team.
Heavier sentence
According to Agus Andrianto, Ferdy would likely face a heavier sentence than the three other suspects, namely Bharada E, Brig. Ricky Rizal and Kuat Ma’ruf. He explained that the punishment for those who ordered the shooting would be heavier than those who carried out the order.
Kompas also asked former judges, including former chief justices, about the possibility of Bharada E’s acquittal if they were presiding over the Ferdy Sambo case. Three former chief justices who were contacted said they would not acquit him. For one, the Supreme Court’s former special crimes deputy from 2009-2013, Djoko Sarwoko, said that Bharada E might receive a lighter sentence as a justice collaborator, but would not be acquitted.
Regarding the view that Bharada E could be acquitted, Djoko assumed that this was based on Article 50 and Article 51, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.
The article stipulates that parties who act in line with the law, as well as parties who carry out orders given by their direct superior, are not punished.
“Bharada E shot Brig. J on the orders of FS while E was his adjutant. What was ordered was not a job. This is because the internal affairs chief is not in a position to kill others [adjutant] for unknown reasons. This killing is categorized as a premeditated murder under Article 340 of the Criminal Code. The task of the internal affairs chief is to maintain the National Police’s image as
a whole. However, FS committed an act that contravenes the duties and responsibilities of the post of the internal affairs chief,” he said. (ANA)
